


Sick Day

by dinui_parjai



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:00:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28680027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dinui_parjai/pseuds/dinui_parjai
Summary: Based on the historically accurate fact that George Washington had his army innoculated in order to save them from smallpox.Everybody knows that men are terrible when they're sick. Caleb and Ben are no exception.
Relationships: Anna Strong & Benjamin Tallmadge, Caleb Brewster & Anna Strong, Caleb Brewster & Benjamin Tallmadge, Caleb Brewster & Benjamin Tallmadge & Anna Strong
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Sick Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [S_Wags](https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Wags/gifts).



“Hold me, Benny.” Caleb groaned, reaching for his best friend.

In his bed next to Caleb, Ben also reached for him, weakly. “I can’t hold on much longer either, Caleb.”

Standing over them, with her arms crossed, Anna frowned and rolled her eyes. “Can you two stop acting like it’s the end up the world and eat your soup?”

“Can’t. I’m dying.” Caleb turned his head away.

“No you’re not.”

“At least, in my final moments, my best friend is beside me...” Caleb groaned, dramatically.

“Yeah, and you’re lucky for that.” Ben coughed. “You shouldn’t even be in here. That’s twice the amount of things I’m going to have to burn later.”

“I’ll get you a new tent, Tallboy. Don’t get your whiskers in a twist.”

Both of them had been inoculated for smallpox a few days ago. Now came the mild fever-

-and the over the top dramatics. Anna couldn’t believe them. Besides having chills and a slight fever, they really weren’t that badly off. If anything, Anna was almost positive that Ben must have gotten a different strain of it before, from one of his brothers, because he was hardly even suffering.

Though you wouldn’t guess it, based on how dramatic he was being.

Caleb had a bit of a rash, but nothing major. Not nearly as bad as some of the younger soldiers had reacted to the inoculation, and certainly not as bad as those who were sick with it for real. At least, their casualties had decreased considerably. Washington may have done good by it after all, even if the idea of intentionally getting smallpox was about as smart as it was fun.

“Sit up and drink some water.” She ordered, holding out Ben’s cup to him. He used a hand to help him as he drank, and she watched to make sure he didn’t spill. If she weren’t already a married woman, Anna would probably have been questioning her dignity by their appearances. Ben’s hair was wild, and freely falling about his head, and both he and Caleb were shirtless.

“It’s my favorite shirt.” Caleb had complained, taking it off as soon as he heard it would need to be burned otherwise.

Ben was a lot less quick to copy the gesture, but in the end it helped with the chills. Caleb had suggested that they ‘cuddle for warmth’, to which Anna had given a hard ‘no’. Not on her watch.

Next she helped Caleb drink, and used it as an opportunity to see the rash on his hand.

It hadn’t gotten any worse. However, it was still unbecoming.

“If you two sleep, it’ll help the fever get better.” She told them.

“You try sleeping when you feel worse than a horse’s arse.”

“You’d be surprised.” Anna rolled her eyes. Men, especially those without sisters like Ben, could never understand how foolish that statement was.

“How can you even feel like a horse’s arse?” Ben murmured...”Now, you can certainly look like one-“

“Then I look like one.” Caleb amended.

“You two are both going to be fine.” Anna declared. “I’m making you some soup, and after you eat I suggest you get some sleep. I know you two don’t rest up enough on a good night so you can use being sick as an excuse.”

“What if... we’re attacked?”

“Not in the middle of Winter, we won’t be.”

“We attacked Trenton in winter.” Caleb argued.

Anna pursed her lips as she walked to the small fire inside the tent, scooping out some soup for both of them.

“Aye, remember that, Tallboy? I took care of you then just like Annie’s taken care of us now.”

“I distinctly remember waking up naked with you next to me.”

“We don’t... we don’t talk about that. I was just keeping you warm.”

“Caleb, I hardly think-“

“Every sailer knows the best way to keep a man warm is with body heat, Tallboy. I hope you know I would do it again in a heartbeat. And I don’t remember you being conscious for any of that.”

“I was in and out a few days before I woke up and we went on to Princeton.”

“Victory or death.” Caleb murmured.

“Victory or death.”

“Alright, who’s first?” Anna asked, holding up a bowl of soup.

Ben groaned and turned on his side, trying to push himself up. “You help Caleb. I’m fine.”

Anna handed him the bowl and Ben disregarded the spoon, instead drinking it straight from the bowl. He was ravenously hungry.

Surprisingly, Caleb had no retort as Anna sat beside him and held the first spoonful up to his lips. Liquid drizzled down his chin and dripped onto his bare chest.

“This is pointless, Annie. Let me go at it like Benny is.”

Anna changed tactics, holding the bowl to Caleb’s lips so he could drink.

There was a creaking sound as Ben started to stand up from his bed. Anna startled, tried to stop him before he stumbled, his legs still asleep from not being used.

“I just want some more soup.” He said, holding out his empty bowl.

“Yeah, me too.” Caleb murmured.

Anna refilled Caleb’s first, then Ben’s, when he heard the sound of the spoon scraping the bottle of the kettle.

“Wait, Anna. Where’s yours?”

“Oh-“ she shook her head. “I’ll eat something else. You two don’t worry about me.”

“Nonsense, Anna-“

“I’ve already fought through my pox, now it’s your turn. I’ll make more later for myself.

Ben looked skeptical.

“Promise.” Anna added.

Satisfied, Ben took the bowl she offered into his shaking hands and brought it up to his lips. In seconds, he had finished it. Calebwasn’t far behind.

With warm food in their bellies, Ben and Caleb laid back. Anna was almost sure they had fallen asleep (Caleb was snoring slightly), but as soon as she tried to duck out of Ben’s tent-

“Anna?” Ben croaked.

She came back in. “Yes, Ben?”

“Thank you.”

She smiled. “You’re welcome. I’m sure you two will be doing better in the morning.”

In fact, when she returned the next day, Ben was sitting at his desk, writing whatever report he still owed Washington, the only indication that he had ever been ill a blanket around his shoulders. Caleb was still asleep, his hat covering his eyes.

A few days later, with both men fully recovered and Anna back to running her traders post out of Sackett’s wagon, a bouquet of blue, yellow and purple flowers and a few spools of soft yarn- a scarce good in this day of the war. Caleb must have had to find it on the London Trade.

Anna smiled to herself.

From the front of Ben’s tent, her old friends smiled. Caleb blew her a fake kiss, which prompted Ben to playfully pull his hat over his eyes.

The war made these times hard, but at least her old friends made it better.


End file.
